Alex Kim wasn't thinking about an encore after beating the No. 1 and No. 2 tennis players in the NCAA team finals on consecutive days. He had a national title to celebrate and a huge sigh of relief to let out. But the junior managed to outdo himself, cruising to the NCAA singles title in Athens, Ga., just days after leading the Cardinal to its fifth team crown in six years.
Kim, who played No. 4 singles on the Stanford team that fell to Baylor in the third round in 1999, dominated the team tournament from the No. 1 spot this year. He knocked off top-ranked Jeff Morrison of Florida in the semifinals and No. 2 Daniel Andersson of Virginia Commonwealth in the finals, both in straight sets. He then blew through the singles draw, besting sophomore teammate K.J. Hippensteel in the semifinals before winning the title 6-1, 6-1 over unseeded Kentucky player Carlos Drada. Kim's teammates were equally impressive, dropping just one point in six tournament matches en route to Stanford's record 17th men's tennis title.
"This is one of the most unbelievable feelings. To come down here and win the team and individual titles . . . is something I never imagined," Kim said after the match. "It's great to keep up the Stanford tradition."
The Cardinal women, playing in Malibu, Calif., barely missed a title of their own. But freshman Laura Granville made sure they didn't go home empty-handed. The team rolled to a 30-0 regular-season record before falling to Georgia in the championship match. After Stanford took the Bulldogs to the wire -- losing on a heartbreaking tie-breaker in the final doubles match -- Granville faced sophomore teammate Marissa Irvin in an all-Cardinal singles final. It was the first time in tournament history that both finalists hailed from the same school. Granville beat top-ranked Irvin 6-0, 6-4, becoming the ninth Stanford women's player to win the ncaa singles title. Her win, coupled with Kim's, gave Stanford its first-ever sweep of ncaa singles.
"Having Laura and Marissa advance to the championship makes a strong statement about the quality of the women's tennis program at Stanford," says women's head coach Frank Brennan, who announced his retirement four days after the match (see box). "Laura has been on a roll, and she played with tremendous confidence and composure."
